Jewelry catch or clasp



F. W. NITTEL.

JEWELRY CATCH 0R CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MM5, 1921.

1,396,588, Patented Noms, 1921.

A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. NITTEL, 0F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO M. S. COM- PANY, 0F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

JEWELRY CATCH OR CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application sied May 5, 1921. seriai No. 4e7,i18.

To c?? 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK lV. NiTrEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Jewelry Catches or Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in jewelry catches or clasps, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein the hooks to which the chain ends are connected are formed of a single piece of wire, and in which one end of the barrel is used to close or guard the open mouth of one of the hooks so as to permit of removal and replacement of one end of the chain.

The invention further aims to provide a device of this type which is economical in manufacture, and which is possessed of a minimum number of parts, the latter compactly assembled and positive in operaticn.

The invention still further aims to provide means to allow the barrel to be easily operated so as to permit of removal of one end of the chain.

Further and other objects will be later set forth and manifested in the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention a piece of half round wire is employed which is bent intermediate its end to form a closed loop l which receives one end of the chain C. The adjacent parts of the wire are superimposed to form a circular shank 2. A tubular guide or sleeve 3 is then applied to the shank 2 with its outer end abutting the loop 1 as shown in Fig. 2, and the aforementioned parts are next passed through a barrel or housing 4. A coil spring 5 is then placed over the part 6 of the wire with one end thereof abutting the inner end of the tubular guide 3. The opposite end of the barrel is then turned inwardly at 7 to form a ring-like stop which abuts the opposite end of the spring 5. The free end of the part 6 of the wire is then bent to form a hook 8 having an open mouth 9 by means of which mouth the oppo site end of the chain can be engaged with and disengaged from the hook S. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the spring 5 normally maintains the free end of the. hook S in engagement with the stop 7, thereby closing the mouth 9 of the hook and guarding the latter against accidental disengagement of the chain therefrom.

As shown in the drawings the barrel 4 is formed with a central peripheral and circular or ring-like part 10, which provides al finger or fingernail grip, so that by engaging the fingers with the nart 10 and with the loop 1 the barrel may be moved toward the loop 1 against the action of the spring 5 to the full line position of Fig. 1 so as to thus allow the end of the chain engaged with the hook 8 to be freely removed through the mouth 9 of the latter. Vhen the barrel is released the spring holds the parts in the position of Fig. 2, in which the mouth 9 is closed or guarded.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the shank connecting the loop and hook is formed to have a partly full circular crosssection and a partly semi-circular cross-section, the entire shank with the loop and hook being formed of a single length or piece of wire. In addition it is not necessary to provide any extraneous fastening for the tubular guide 3. which latter is held against the loop 1 by the tension of the spring. In this way the entire device is constructed without the use of solder or other extraneous fastenings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a clasp, a barrel having open ends and formed between its ends with a peripheral circular projection, a shank in the barrel of half round wire bent at one end to form a hook with an open mouth and having its opposite end doubled upon itself to form a loop and an elongated part of circular cross section. a tubular guide snugly fitted on said part elongated and abutting the loop at one end and a coil spring on the shank abutting the opposite end of the tubular guide, the loop and hook extending beyond the respective ends of the barrel and the end of the barrel adjacent the hook being bent inwardly to form a stop for the outer end of the Spring and an abutment for the hook to normally close the mouth thereof. i

2. In a clasp, a barrel, a member in the barrel having a shank of partlyl semi and partly circular-cross section and having a loop on one end and a hook on the other, a guide snugly fitted over the circular part and abutting the loop, and a spring arranged over the other part of the shank and abutting the guide and the opposite end of the barrel, being bent inwardly to form a stop to engage the spring and to also engage and normally close the mouth of the hook.

3. In av clasp, a barrel, a shank in the barrel having a hook on one end and having its opposite end doubled upon itself to form a loop and an elongated part of double thickness, a guide snugly itted over said elongated part and engaged with the barrel interior and a coil spring in the barrel engaged at one end with the guide, the end of the barrel adjacent the opposite end of the coil spring being turned inwardly to form a stop for the saidopposite end of the spring and to also engage and normally close the mouth of the hook. Y In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. NITTEL Witnesses MARION A. KINGSLY, J. A. MILLER. 

